How Do I Check Property Taxes?

by Larry Simmons

Check your property tax bill online with your local tax offices.

Property taxes are public information, made available in all locales to anyone wishing to have a look at them. As such, it’s possible to check property taxes for any property, including your own. Doing so will require that you find the location of these publicly available records. Knowing where to look can save you time, while knowing what information you’ll need on hand, as well as the information likely to be available in the records, can save you the frustration of an unsuccessful search.

1

Write down the identifying information available for the property that the taxing agency will need to present you with the information you require. Have this information on hand once you make contact with the taxing agency to keep the process of tax retrieval information efficient. Make sure you have the address of the property, including the county and street number, or a lot number from an assessor’s report. Obtain assessor reports at the county records office if you need one. Have a list of the information you need provided to you from the taxing agency as well, including the property tax due or past due, the latest assessed value of the property and the tax rate or percentage of the assessed value used to determine the property tax amount.

2

Perform a public records search online, using the website for your county’s tax assessors’ and recorders’ office. Many of the available sites can be located through portal sites like NETRonline Real Estate Information, which contains links to the necessary tax offices in your locale.

3

Browse through the County's tax site until you locate the section dealing with property tax. Look for a link to a property tax information and payment page. Click on the link and fill out the information form for property location to find the available tax information about your specific property.

4

Contact your county tax offices by phone or visit them in person if you cannot find the information available online. The location of the tax offices is under the Government section of the phone book for that area under "County Assessor" or "County Records Office." Speak to the county clerk about how to obtain a copy of your property tax records. An in-person visit will likely involve a records search that you will have to make personally, or a fee to have the records office perform the search for you. The tax information should be immediately available, but if an extended search is required, the clerk shouldl be able to give you a date to return for the information, or mail the information to you, likely for an additional fee.

About the Author

Larry Simmons is a freelance writer and expert in the fusion of computer technology and business. He has a B.S. in economics, an M.S. in information systems, an M.S. in communications technology, as well as significant work towards an M.B.A. in finance. He's published several hundred articles with Demand Studios.

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